Design/Consulting Services Selection Process

All procurement opportunities are advertised in the New York State Contract Reporter and listed on the State University Construction Fund's (the Fund) web site. Consultants are required to register for each procurement at the Fund's website, to be able to receive the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for procurements for Architectural, Engineering, Commissioning, Program Study or Construction Management services. Once registered, consultants will receive an email with a link to the applicable Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Required hard copies and electronic copies of Statements of Qualifications must be received by the due date and time specified in the RFQ.

Selections for consultants to provide professional services (architectural/engineering), program studies and commissioning services are made via a qualifications based selection process. Selection Committees typically consist of three Fund employees and a campus representative. The Selection Committee initially recommends a "short list of consultants" to be given further consideration for the project. The "short listed" consultants for architectural or engineering projects may be invited to a walk through of the site for the project. Additional details on the project scope may also be provided. Consultants may also be invited to attend an interview with the Selection Committee during which consultants have the opportunity to present their approach to the project, further details related to their staffing and capabilities, and information related to the proposed project team including MWBE Utilization.

The members of the Selection Committee then independently rate each of the Short Listed consultants. Evaluation crite ria includes qualifications and experience of the prime consultant, qualifications of the prime consultant's staff, project approach and consultant's capability, previous experience with work specific to the project scope, proposed subconsultant team, MWBE Utilization and references. The consultant with the highest cumulative rating shall be recommended for contract award. The fee for architectural or engineering design services is calculated using the Fund's standard Fee Schedule with a "complexity factor" assigned as an adjustment, based upon the project’s complexity and challenges.

Procurements for consultants to provide Program Studies or Commissioning Services, follow the same process as above however the Short Listed consultants are asked to submit technical proposals identifying the proposed staff, hours and tasks, to deliver the Scope of Work. A Site Walk through is typically not conducted. Technical proposals are evaluated by the Selection Committee based upon the criteria noted previously. Short Listed consultants may be invited to attend an interview with the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee then completes their evaluation and final selection rating. The consultant with the highest cumulative rating is then requested to provide a cost proposal based upon their proposed staffing, hours, tasks and estimated reimbursable expenses for project scope. Once the cost proposal is finalized, the selected consultant is then recommended to the General Manager for contract award. The final accepted cost proposal becomes the basis for the consultant's fee.

Procurements for Construction Managers (CM) also follow the same process as above. However, final selection for CMs are made on the basis of "Best Value", which incorporates a composite of independent technical and cost scoring. A Site Walk Through is typically not conducted. The Short Listed CMs are requested to submit technical proposals of staffing, hours and tasks based upon the Scope of Work and a separate cost proposal (which is not shared with the Selection Committee). Following interviews, if conducted, the Selection Committee completes their technical scoring and Procurement completes the cost scoring and the then Best Value Analysis. The final accepted cost proposal becomes the basis for the CM's fee.

In all procurements, final selections are reviewed for approval by the General Manager.